Puppy Promises
by ZebraPillows
Summary: When a strange puppy shows up at Higurashi Shrine, Kagome's world is suddenly turned upside down! Rated M for future chapters. S/K Updated sporadically.
1. Chapter 1

**Puppy Promises:**

**By Stormie Morrison**

**Chapter one: Looking like one you know.**

Sopping wet and chilled to the bone, a tiny bundle of fur limped beneath a stone bench at the base of a sacred tree. Its massive roots offered protection against the intense storm thundering across the shrine grounds. He pressed his body against the rough bark as blood seeped from the massive wound on his leg. Hail pummeled the walkways like golf balls on a driving range. Heated energy swirled through the air, springing bolts of lightning into the tree and forcing it's monstrous limbs to shake and groan. Wind swept through the lush green leaves and plush pink flowers, scattering them from the branches, rendering them bare and naked. The night bowed to the powerful storm; only the soft cries of the puppy could be heard through the torrential downpour.

A crash of lightning shook Kagome from her fitful sleep. Cold sweat clung to her back. For some reason she'd been having nightmares all night, but when she woke, she couldn't remember what they'd been about, only the sense of pain and fear crackling in her aura gave her any insight to them. She'd probably never find out. Groaning softly, she swung her legs over the plush mattress and slipped her feet into a pair of silk lined bunny slippers.

"Hey sis!" Her brother rapped his fist against her bedroom door, "Wake up!" Not bothering to wait for a reply, he threw the door open, soaking wet from head to toe.

"Souta!" Kagome grabbed a pink towel from its place over her closet door, unable to resist the motherly urge suddenly washing over her. She rushed to the short twelve year old in her doorway, and draped the coarse fabric over his form, "You're all wet! What's going on?" She asked, proceeding to dry his unkempt short black hair as he groaned. "Stop it Kagome! I'll dry off in a minute, just listen to me."

What? Surprise dripped through her veins, as she stared speechless at her little brother in soggy green plaid pajamas. His dark eyebrows slanted in annoyance and frustration, making him seem far older and far more serious than he ever had before. She couldn't quell the sadness that seeped inside her heart at the thought of never seeing him grow up, the thought of missing her brother grow into a strong young man. Maybe she was spending too much time away from home; after all, she'd never seen the stern look in his brown eyes before, the youthful sparkle seemed to be dimming right before her.

Backing away from his dazed sister, he grumbled, "Mom found a puppy outside, but it's hurt and she wants you to go with her to the emergency vet. Hurry up and get dressed." Kagome couldn't help but frown as he ran from the room, practically slamming the door, before she could answer.

Then his words sunk in, a helpless animal needed to go to an emergency clinic, it had to be really bad if her mother saw fit to leave immediately. Quickly, resisting the urge to jump in the shower, she threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top, brushing her thick black hair as she ran down the stairs. A slight honk from outside told her that her mom was already waiting, and she couldn't help the swell of fear creeping up her veins, "Please be okay puppy…"

Staring down at the trembling, whimpering, terrified, little ball of muddy and bloody fur in her lap, Kagome felt utterly worthless. She couldn't fix the mangled puppy in her arms, she couldn't ease his pain. His tiny body quivered beneath her touch, as she tried desperately to get the bleeding to stop pouring from the huge gash in his leg with pressure and a crimson stained towel. His white cottony fur stuck together in reddish brown sticky clumps. Cries of pain slipped from his jowls in the form of howls and yelps. She wanted to assure the creature everything would be okay, to comfort it, to let the pup know she would save it, but she couldn't, because as her mother sped into the emergency veterinary clinic's parking lot, she could feel the puppy's breaths begin to die out. Tears rolled down her cheeks. For some reason, she wasn't sure she could handle the tiny baby not making it, he just had to. "Don't die…" The words came garbled through the pain throbbing in her chest.

Suddenly her miko powers flared to life, and she coaxed it into the little creature, but like a rubber band the energy snapped back repelled by some unknown force. Her tears flowed more freely now, pouring down her cheeks like grief-stricken waterfalls. Never before had she felt like such a failure. Her mother moved her lips, but Kagome couldn't hear the words she made past the sobs ringing in her ears. Weight lifted from her blood stained lap, her mother gently stole the pup, and she followed her inside the brightly illuminated building.

Time passed by slowly as she rung her shaking hands in her lap. Her shoulders trembled, and her chest still ached with strangled tears, but she found her eyes dry. She'd cried herself out.

When the tall dark headed veterinarian walked into the waiting room with a smile on his face, followed by a procession of a wide-hipped assistant and the cause of her grief, relief bubbled in Kagome's chest like a comforting balm. She wasn't sure why she'd been so upset by the thought of the small baby dog dying, but seeing him well and alive four hours later felt like the best thing on Earth. "You're okay…" Soothing whispers ran from her lips as the vet's husky assistant passed a now clean and drugged up white ball of fluff into her arms minus a right leg. A coarse line of thirteen black stitches curved around the shaved shoulder where the little guy's appendage used to be. The assistant ruffled a grey crescent shaped tuft of fur on the pup's forehead with short chubby fingers, while going over his medicine schedule with her mother. Seeing the slivered moon and the fact that he was missing a leg, Kagome couldn't shake one Taiyoukai from her thoughts. "Sesshomaru…" The name eased from her parted lips in a breathless sigh, but no matter how quiet, the little bundle in her arms stirred at the name.

"So I just need you to fill out the paperwork and then he'll be all set to go home. Two weeks from now, we will take out the stitches." Kagome was only half aware of her mother and the assistant walking away, all her attention undividedly on the sleepy pup cradled against her bosom. "Of course Sesshomaru lost his left arm…and he's grown it back since then…" She stared down into a set of droopy golden eyes, the resemblance eerie and unsettling, well minus the droopiness. Sesshomaru's eyes were always alert or narrowed in thought, never droopy. She couldn't resist the question in her mind, "Are you going to regrow your arm too?" Would he? With a yawn he buried his cold muzzle into her tank top as if to say, 'cuddle me you crazy girl.'

"Kagome?" Her mother's soft toned voice shook her from her musings about Inuyasha's older Inu Taiyoukai brother. "Yeah Mama?" What did she say again? Smoothing the short curls in her black hair, Kagome's mother gave an exasperated sigh. She was so very tired, and it showed by changing her usually happy demeanor to clipped sentences and sagging shoulders, "What will you name him Kagome?"

Without thinking, the young woman blurted out, "Sesshy," and before she could rebuff her spurred answer, the puppy in her arms gave a yelp of agreement snuggling closer.

* * *

><p>Morning brought an unexpected visitor climbing through her bedroom window. "What do you mean you can't go back until Sesshomaru is healed!" Inuyasha screamed irately at her for refusing to go back to the feudal era while shaking his clawed fist over the fang sword hanging at his waist and growling, "What does that bastard have to do with you coming back?" If she wasn't awake before, she definitely was now. Sunlight poured in from the opened window, and she fought the urge to use the subjugation spell on the hanyou raving angrily while hovering over her sleep deprived form.<p>

"I mean what I said! I just got home a couple of hours ago you baka! Sesshy needs his rest! He lost his leg yesterday and he has to heal, I won't go back through the well until he gets his stitches removed!" She yelled before realizing how loud they were being and checked on the sleeping puppy on her lap beneath the heavy pink comforter. Sesshy proved to be a heavy sleeper as he hadn't stirred in the slightest. Hissing, she threw Inuyasha the best glare she could muster. "Be quiet or you'll wake him up." How could he be so insensitive?

"What! What are you…!" The silver dog ears atop his head twitched with annoyed confusion, and he sniffed the air, "Who is under there with you!" Before she could retort, the hanyou threw the blanket off her tired form, and gawked at the little puppy curled up on her lap. Sesshy didn't mind noise so much, but it seemed cold air ruining his warmth was a different matter altogether. Flashing a set of super sharp baby canines, the little guy snarled at Inuyasha, threatening a nasty bite if his covers weren't delivered a.s.a.p. "Wha? When did you get a dog Kagome?" He asked while carefully re-covering the irritated pup.

"Oh yeah," She mumbled, suddenly realizing she hadn't explained the situation to her friend, "Well you see Inuyasha, we found him last night. He was hurt and we had to take him in for emergency surgery." Unconsciously, her hand went protectively over the little lump in the covers where the puppy cuddled her tummy. "I have to take care of him while he's sick, Souta has school and mama has work, jiisan is busy with the shrine… I'm all the little guy has got…" Sesshy yelped in agreement beneath the comforter.

Cocking a brow, Inuyasha frowned, "Feh! What does that have to do with calling him Sesshomaru?" Kagome mentally groaned, she never thought about how Inuyasha would react to her naming the pup after his brother. From the angry scowl on his face, she knew he was less than entertained by the idea. Wanting to try the easiest explanation possible, she gently pulled the baby out from under the covers and held him up for Inuyasha's inspection, "He has golden eyes and a grey marking on his forehead in the shape of a crescent and well he did lose an arm…" The pup seemed to want to help the situation by offering the hanyou a pair of wide gleaming amber puppy eyes. "Plus," She continued while cradling the pup against her plush chest, "I didn't mean to call him Sesshomaru, his name is Sesshy." Yelping in agreement, Sesshy licked her nose and Kagome giggled. "You like your name don't cha Sesshy-sama!" With a scowl on his face, Inuyasha sat on the window sill with his long red clad legs hanging over the edge in the cool morning air, "Feh! That runt smells bad, you should get rid of it!" Feeling the heat of her anger flare up her powers, he jumped out the window. Knowing he had yet to make it to the well, Kagome growled, muttering a single word of revenge under her sweet breath, "Sit." Even though she couldn't hear his curses or his face plant into the Earth, she knew the subjugation spell did its job. The rosary of beads and fangs hanging around the hanyou's neck would surely be the death of him.

* * *

><p>A month later and one would never realize the little playful ball of excited white fluff had even lost a limb! He was fast, so very fast and graceful even, leaping through the air and landing with perfect ease. "Sesshy!" Souta yelled, running after the new edition to the family, who was currently scampering across the shrine grounds at racecar worthy speeds. His legs ached from chasing the pup. Finally he gave up, bent over sucking in a deep breath, he whined, "Sess…" The preteen's dark brown eyes went wide as Sesshy suddenly changed direction and pounced his chest. "Oomph!" Souta landed on the soft grass with a heavy thud groaning, the breath knocked out of him.<p>

Kagome stood on the pavement in a fit full of giggles from the sight of a tickle monster Sesshy torturing her little brother. A massive yellow backpack hung off her right shoulder weighing her down; Filled with more ramen and candy than Inuyasha or her little fox kit could eat, at least that's what she told herself. The probability of that being true was probably only around once percent. The more candy she brought, the more Shippou consumed, like a candy black hole, and he never gained an ounce of fat! In fact the little guy never seemed to grow at all, not that she was one to judge. It seemed after the Shikon No Tama had been destroyed, she aged just as slowly as her demon kit. She had yet to figure out the reason behind it.

The massive amount of ramen would mainly be for Inuyasha, that hanyou couldn't get enough of it; rarely could she coax him into sharing the tasty noodles. Thinking of her other friends, Sango and Miroku, who had three little ones of their own, she remembered to pack dolls and a baby rattle. Kaiya and Kaiyo, their twin girls, always loved her gifts to them, they cherished everything their Auntie gave. Toyo, he was only a few months old so he didn't have much to say yet. He did however love things that made weird sounds. The first gift for him, she brought a stuffed elephant that squealed when squeezed, Toyo busted in glee and baby babble. Kagome couldn't resist his chubby cheeked smile.

Noticing the sudden lack of attention from his mistress, Sesshy sauntered up to Kagome and plopped down at her feet, flashing her golden puppy eyes with his little pink tongue lolling out on the left side of his fluffy white muzzle. "Oh Sesshy-sama! I'm sorry but you can't go to the Feudal era with me! The Sengoku Jidai is just too dangerous for a little guy like you. You wouldn't be able to defend yourself." He tilted his head and rolled his eyes as if to say, 'Like you can?' She couldn't resist running her fingers through his long silky fur. Even where it'd been shaved for the operation it had already grown out. "You are just too cute Sesshy! Too cute and too cuddly for your own good!"

Souta rolled his eyes at his eccentric time traveling sister. She would be leaving to the past through the shrine's well today, the massive sun colored backpack hanging off her shoulder told him so. Listening to her coddle their new puppy, he frowned, "Hey sis, why do you put an honorific at the end of Sesshy's name?"

A pink blush splashed her cheeks, "Oh I uh…um do I really?" She couldn't remember if she had or not… "Well," He grinned goofily while rubbing the back of his neck, "Not always, but sometimes yeah you do." 'Oh how embarrassing!' She thought to herself, 'Am I doing that because Sesshomaru is a Lord and I named the puppy after him?' "I um…" By the time she thought of an excuse, Souta had already muttered goodbye and left her outside alone.

Biting her lip, she groaned, she would need to find more time to spend with her brother before he stopped speaking to her altogether. When had they managed to grow so far apart? "Well Sesshy," She smiled while patting the little guy's furry head and scratching behind his ears, "I guess there's no excuse for not spending more time here, after all Naraku has been defeated for five years now and the Shikon no tama no longer exists…" The puppy whimpered beneath her small fingers, and she took it as a plea for more detail.

"You see Sesshy, Naraku was a very bad man and he hurt hundreds of people with his greed for power. The Shikon No Tama was a jewel, and I accidentally shattered it many-many years ago. Naraku wanted to use the jewel for its power, so he started collecting the shards, but as the jewel's protector I couldn't let that happen. I spent my entire high school career juggling my duties in the feudal era and my duties at home, it cost me time with my family, and my studies suffered pretty bad because of it. I know more about herbal remedies than I do math equations. I'm kinda worried my relationship with Souta is falling apart because of my time away from him. As his big sister I have duties to him, and I haven't really had the time to be there for him. Even after Naraku was defeated, I didn't realize how much I've lost in relation to my own family, not until a few weeks ago that is… The night we found you little guy, I saw Souta in a new light. He isn't my little annoying brother anymore, he's growing up, and I'm afraid if I don't do something soon to fix it that he won't see me as his big sister. I'll just be a girl that hops from time to time through a well that he sees ever so often…"

She tried to explain to Sesshy as if he were a child, and as her words hit her lips, she realized just how worried she actually was. Tears stung her dark brown eyes, "I can't lose my family Sesshy, but I have family in the past now too and it's just so hard…"

Sango and Miroku and their growing family meant the world to her, she was the aunt to their babies. Shippou was her fox kit, and even though it was left unsaid, she felt for him as if he were her own child, she'd gladly die protecting him. There was also Inuyasha, her first crush and dear friend… So many people held a place in her heart, so many people in two different eras. "I'll just have to manage my time better Sesshy. No more weeks away from either place! Spending time with everyone is very important to me." Wiping away the wetness on her cheeks, she couldn't help but smile. Sesshy had a silly grin spread across his muzzle and licked the side of her face, trying to help remove her salty tears.

Happy again, she made her way to the well house, a large old wooden building with a massive secret inside. Halfway down the walk way, she noticed Sesshy following close on her heels. "No Sesshy-sama, you cannot follow me. Sit. Stay." Using her pointed finger, and a less than threatening voice, Kagome laid down the law. Her little puppy was no match for angry hungry demons, and she couldn't risk the well letting him through to the other side.

Sesshy waggled his tail and sat his rump on the cement looking as innocent as ever. Figuring she'd won, Kagome threw open the doors leading to the portal in time and hopped down into the well. A familiar blue light shimmered around her form sending waves of ancient magic in a frenzy. That's when Kagome saw him, her supposedly innocent little pup had managed to sneak a pass to the Feudal era. Worry crashed over her, what if he got hurt? Her thoughts were abruptly ended when yellow light shot through her baby pup, spilling from his core like lightning. The lights faded and sunshine crashed down the well shaft. "Sesshy!" Dark brown eyes nearly popped from their sockets as she looked over the toddler standing before her. A grey crescent adorned his forehead, while silver tresses poured over his shoulder like delicate silk covering the front of his naked form. He shot her a look of satisfaction, his golden eyes seemed to penetrate her soul.

"Hi Kagome-sama." The voice of a child filled her ears, and she had to catch her breath at the surprise. "How are you…how did you…" Without any notice, he plastered himself to her leg, laughing in glee, "Oh Kagome-sama thank you so much for saving me! A witch sealed my youki and I thought I'd be in my beast form forever!" Trying to hide the sudden rush of tears prickling her eyes, she placed a hand on the little Inuyoukai's head, "What is your real name?" Surely it couldn't be Sesshy as she'd dubbed him the night she found him. "It's InuMaigo, my mother is InuKimi, my father is Haiiro, and my brother is Lord of the Western Lands and I'm pretty sure you are his mate Kagome-sama. Why do you not recognize your brother in law?"

The wooden planks stone and mortar that made up the well shaft spun together as the toddler spoke. She knew he had to be youkai the sudden appearance of his yellow youki spiraling around him told her so. His words sounded so strange coming from one so young, though he had to of been at least fifty years old to be more than a baby. Air constricted in her chest, tightening like the sudden onslaught of a panic attack, "What did you just say?" Unsteady feet made her grasp a cold stone wall as the world began to swim together, InuMaigo's words brought the world crumbling down around her. "You are mated to my brother Sesshomaru –sama. What's wrong?" His small voice sounded so far away as he tried to hold her up, to keep her from falling to the bottom of the well. "Kagome-sama!" Darkness, shimmering onyx, it came like a sheet over her eyes. The world went silent and the crazy musings of a puppy turned child slipped away like a ghost.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** _Well this is my first fanfic in years, around five I think! I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. I'm not sure how far along the story will go as I haven't really thought up much of a plot, but the idea just seemed too cute to pass up! (I am a sucker for Kawaii sometimes!)_

_please be sure to review as I really need some words of encouragement and constructive criticism would be nice as well!_

**Love, **

**Stormie~ZebraPillows  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Surprises

**Puppy Promises  
><strong>

**Chapter 2: Surprises**

Wind danced through the clearing catching the loose green leaves in a mesmerizing swirl of various shades of green. Rin giggled at the sight, choosing to make a game out of the breeze and began chasing the loose foliage as it twisted through the air. After living in the Edo village for so many years, she knew it would only be a matter of seconds before the small children of the village would begin chasing after the wind as well. Sure enough a gaggle of little hands, tiny feet, and big smiles found their way into the clearing to join in the simple game. Rin saw herself as a sort of protector of all the younger children in the village, she found herself more than qualified, after all she was the only person in the world to have the Lord of the West as a role model.

Looking out at the orange hues painted across the sky at dusk, she could see her Lord flying through the sky, and knew in her heart that he would be coming to visit her as he did a handful of times throughout the year. Throwing her hand in the air and bouncing in place, she waved. If ever there was a hero-worship complex, Rin had it, but Sesshomaru was more than her savior; In her dark honey brown eyes her Lord somehow wriggled his way into her heart as a sort of father figure, though she'd never dare call him on it.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru I've missed you!" She called out knowing full well his InuYoukai heritage would have her words right in his ears. The heart inside her chest felt as if it would burst with glee. How her Lord could fill her with such perpetual happiness with just his mere presence she'd never know, he was the only entity on Earth that could create such a zealous emotion in her soul.

"Rin." Sesshomaru acknowledged his ward with a tilt of his chin, gracefully landing and allowing his energy cloud to dissipate. Her dark brown hair once unkempt with a carefree side swept pony tail now fell loose down her back, nearly skirting her knobby knees. Like the rings of a tree, the inches of her hair showed age. Time passed by slowly for one that lived for thousands of years, but in his ward, he could clearly see the days that'd past since he last saw her.

Inches added to her height and curves to her small body granting her a more feminine physique. Perhaps in his next few visits she would be completely filled out, rounded with the softness only women held. Would he be granting her a blessing to wed in the next spring? Humans did seem to wed young. Rin only in her thirteenth year…it would not be unheard of for her to marry even now. The thought brought up a frustrating emotion he cared not to name.

In her shining eyes he could still see the child, the little slip of a girl, offering him, he who could lift only one clawed finger and strike her dead, a fish. He could still envision the tiny ningen skipping around his retainer as the green youkai ran after her in a field of wild flowers. He could still hear the giddy babble and laughter fleeing her lips. It was as if time stopped in his memories of his Rin, but before him, time continued. She would age as all humans do. Disgust rested on the tip of his tongue, ningens were such a weak species. The distaste quickly removed itself from his thoughts, looking down at his ward. Perhaps he could retain her life force if he found a suitable youkai mate for her, then he would not lose her so soon.

Jaken, a green imp youkai of sorts with a beak-like snout and bulging yellow eyes, stumbled next to Sesshomaru's large black boots, falling forward without notice, squawking, "Oh!" Careful as to keep the present, a rectangle wrapped in green shiny paper, above his head and away from the ground which his face had firmly planted.

His Lord entrusted him to care for the parcel, and he did not want to disappoint his Lord…oh how ashamed he was for nearly sullying the gift. "Rin this Sesshomaru has brought you a parcel." Sesshomaru kept a mask of indifference on his angled face, not letting an ounce of emotion mar his ethereal appearance. The royal blue crescent and twin magenta stripes on his cheek bones and eye lids stood out against the ivory pallor of his skin.

Rin couldn't help but think her Sesshomaru-Sama could quite possibly be a Kami, "Thank you My Lord!" She grinned with a wide set toothy smile, gently unwrapping the package without taking it directly from Jaken's ever trembling hands.

Soft pink fabric gleamed in the light as Rin lifted the kimono from its green wrappings, allowing Jaken to fall completely in a heap of red dust and green paper. "I love it!" She giggled, tracing her little fingers over a lighter pink blossom design before running to show the pretty cloth to the other children of the village.

Content with his ward's approval of her new garment, Sesshomaru side-stepped his retainer. "Jaken." His deep voice full of authority sent an icy chill through the still dirt eating imp. "Yes My Lord?" Wanting to be rid of the annoyance near his boot, Sesshomaru ordered, "Speak with the old miko, be sure Rin is well in her eyes, be sure all needs are suitably met." Jaken popped up from the ground before groveling for being slow, earning a glare from his master, and running in fear for his life toward the village. Satisfied with the green imp away, Sesshomaru turned his senses to other matters.

A strange scent filled the area not far from the clearing, and he was determined to discover its source. Rarely did anything surprise the Daiyoukai, but this scent, so familiar yet so unknown did just that.

* * *

><p>InuMaigo nuzzled the side of Kagome's face, trying to will her awake. She scared him by randomly passing out. Her crumpled form laid against the soft dirt. He couldn't understand what he'd said to make her faint. Why would the mention of her mate shock her so badly?<p>

Though thinking back to the shrine, he really never saw or smelt Sesshomaru-sama, even with his senses dulled by the seal on his youki.

Sniffing the air lightly, he couldn't smell car exhaust or lots of people…it definitely didn't smell like home. The air smelled pure, like nature, like grass and rain and dirt… The roof of the well house seemed to have disappeared as well, because all the little youkai could see was sunshine and clear blue skies. Fear suckled his bones as he recalled his brother telling him a bedtime story, a story filled with an evil hanyou and a jewel of four souls. Didn't Kagome-sama say something about a Shikon no Tama back at the shrine, just minutes ago? He'd been so distracted by her scratching his ears. Oh how he loved a good petting.

Thinking hard, he tried to remember some of the stories his brother told him, stories he never really considered were more than fairy tales; after all who lived in a world without light bulbs, where a miko priestess could travel through time and slay demons? The idea was incredulous, ridiculous even, absolutely absurd! Then there was his brother's voice in his head telling him otherwise…

"_Kagome would jump through a well and visit our era. At that time Inuyasha watched over her, and together, along with a band of misfits, they slew demons and collected jewel shards. Kagome you see, was the one to shatter the jewel. I know, you'd think she couldn't be any more reckless than she is now, but I know firsthand she definitely was. The first time we met she stood up to me…"_

"_She stood up to you big brother?" _

"_Hai, an untrained novice miko, and I tried to kill her for the insult, I spilled my poison acid all over her!" Sesshomaru's eyes lit up with the memory of battle, letting a drop of poison spill from his flexed claws for emphasis, before slightly frowning, "I am thankful for many surprises in life."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She survived."_

A shiver of fear ran through InuMaigo's spine, what if he accidently went to the feudal era? What if the stories were true? What if Kagome-Sama knew nothing of Sesshomaru-Sama? What if he had yet to try and kill her? Would his brother try to kill him too? All he wanted was to follow her around the shrine, he didn't mean to become a time traveler.

When he got home, if he made it home, his mother would surely kill him. The thought made him glance down at where his right arm used to be and guilt licked at his heart. His mother would be devastated. It would take a good half a century to grow back the appendage if she refused to lend him some of her energy to speed along the process, though he knew it would be a fair punishment for running away. Yet again he didn't mean to run away…just as he didn't mean to travel into the well… things were just so distracting and he loved a good chase, to stalk prey just for fun.

A little over a month ago in late April, InuMaigo saw a cat, not just any cat, but a cat that needed put in its place. How could he have known it was a witch's cat? How could he have predicted that stupid nasty witch would put a seal on his youki and force him to stay in his puppy form? Though he did suppose the car hitting him could have been avoided, he had been chasing another cat… Perhaps he needed a lesson in resisting temptations. He was sure his mother would give him one when he next saw her.

His aura filled with sadness; What if he never got to see him mother or father again? It would be all his fault for not having enough self control.

* * *

><p>With a groan, Kagome opened her eyes, picking herself up off the ground, before the little naked child clung to her out of fear, his arms wrapped tightly around her thigh, keeping her low on the ground."Oh Kagome-Sama! I'm so sorry! Please please tell me we are not in Feudal Japan!" His little form trembled, and he seemed more like a child than he had when she saw him the first time. Tears swelled in his eyes, but he wouldn't move away from her enough for her to wipe them away. "I'm sorry InuMaigo, but you traveled with me into the Segoku Jidai." Obviously he hadn't meant to, she felt bad for the toddler.<p>

Trying to quell his sadness, she ran her fingers through his long silver hair, gently soothing the pup. "It'll be okay, as soon as we climb up the Well shaft I'll jump back down with you and take you home." His golden eyes lit up with hope, and he buried his face in edges of her hair hanging loose at her waist. She smelled like his brother's mate but lacked his mixed scent; he realized here and now she wasn't his brother's, but her scent even incomplete calmed him, made him feel safe and protected.

"Kagome-Sama," He whispered, clinging to her side as she climbed the vines leading to the lip of the well. "Yes InuMaigo?" Her voice was strained, and he knew he was probably weighing her down too much, but she wouldn't let him climb on his own, muttering something about it going against her motherly instincts; He didn't understand, he wasn't really her pup, but perhaps she was just being protective. "Do you know my brother in this era?"

His question made her pause, remembering what shocked her so badly, what shocked her enough to faint. Didn't he say Sesshomaru was her mate? Her stomach flipped at the thought. The ice prince and herself a couple? She couldn't even imagine it. Sure Sesshomaru always caught her eye, he was extremely attractive with rippling muscles and eyes that could quiet possibly melt the clothes right off her flesh, but he seemed cold and solitary, he was deadly, the killing perfection; not to mention he would never ever in a million years take a human for a mate.

Sensing her unease, InuMaigo nuzzled her cheek instinctively trying to comfort her, satisfied with the distracting gasp of surprise it pulled from her lips, and happy she did not pull away. He didn't want her getting upset at the thought of being part of his family. "You do know him don't you Kagome-Sama? I hope you aren't sad about the future…you and Sesshomaru-Sama really care for each other, and all your…"

She flung her hand over his mouth with wide dark eyes full of worry, "Do not, InuMaigo, do not say another word about the future. Not to me or anyone else. Speaking of things could cause problems, you don't want to change the future, what happens is meant to be. Though I cannot even picture your words coming to life for me, Sesshomaru and I are not exactly compatible. Now hush, we are almost to the top of the well." Even if she didn't think that future possible, she couldn't let herself hear it. It could be very bad to alter the past, history was not made to be changed.

InuMaigo's eyes went wide, he hadn't thought about his presence in the past changing the future, then again now that she brought it up… What if this was supposed to happen? He didn't have much time to process the thought as a pale clawed hand shot out towards Kagome, ready to rip into her shoulder, her scream deafening in his sensitive ears. Faster than lightning, with his youkai reflexes, InuMaigo pushed her away and intercepted the claws, shocked to find the pearlescent razors were attached to an intense murderous golden glare he hadn't seen since he tracked mud through his brother's living room.

Magical blue energy sprung up from the depths of the well, swirling around Kagome before she could even register the events taking place. Her dark eyes caught a glimpse of InuMaigo hurling over the lip of the well before emerald light stole her sight. Why? She needed him with her. She needed to take him back to the future, but her hands were empty, her side left cold without the heated body of a small child pressed to her hip, she'd be returning alone. The weight of the well's magic seemed lighter than usual, the blue glow almost transparent as it spit her out beneath the familiar wooden roof of her time. Dirt clung to her jeans and the palms of her clammy hands as anxiety clung to her chest.

"This day is just not letting up…" Worry filled her breathy whisper as her brain throbbed in her skull. The Kamis were not willing to give her time to think over anything it seemed. She couldn't just leave InuMaigo in the past to mull over her thoughts, what if he blurted out the future to Sesshomaru or Inuyasha or…or well anybody! With her muscles protesting the entire way, she climbed to the top of the well determined to go back to the Sengoku Jidai a.s.a.p. Wincing as the wood splintered in her fleshy hands, she didn't want to take the time to go slow paced. Every second counted where the toddler was concerned, youkia or not, he still needed protection. Feeling like a failure, she flung herself back down the well shaft.

No light spilled around her. No magic engulfed her. Nothing. Tears slipped down her cheeks as gravity pulled her down. The well had never failed her before… So many different emotions flashed in her deep mahogany eyes; fear, sadness, worry, pain…aching despair. Would this fall kill her? The cold hard ground bounced her skull blasting her vision with spots of bright colors.

"Kagome!" Souta's voice echoed through the well house as he leaned over the wooden lip, staring down at his sister's crumpled form, "Kagome!" Crimson blood spilled from beneath her head, looking like slick oil through her raven tendrils of hair. Dashing through the doors, he screamed for his mother to call for an ambulance.

* * *

><p>"State your fountainhead." Sesshomaru ordered the young pup that smelled much like his mother. His nose could not tell a lie, and even before the whelp said, "InuKimi," he knew she had somehow managed to produce another son right under his nose. The pup held the mark of the west in the slightly above his brows and the trademark silver tresses of the Inu line, even still, he could smell the difference in the small child's blood. There were also the strange words his sensitive ears picked up from the bowels of the well to consider. This pup had been conversing with the strange miko… what's this? With a sniff to the air, he was surprised for the second time in one day, the miko had disappeared, she was no longer inside the well shaft.<p>

"Half-breed you will tell this Sesshomaru of how you came to be, to where the priestess vanished, and of what you were discussing before my arrival." Had he ever said so much in one sitting? With his interested piqued, he couldn't quell the urge to gather information, despite the sudden annoyance boiling his blood at his lack of knowledge.

InuMaigo stood his ground, only slightly afraid of his brother's past self. Even the future Sesshomaru disliked the taste of fear on his pack mates, and he wasn't a coddler like Kagome-Sama. Before he lost all courage, he puffed up his chest and decided to be brave, the future rested in his small claws. "Before you start demanding things of me Sesshomaru-Sama, I have a request."

Noticing his slightly raised brow, InuMaigo continued, "I am InuMaigo, second son to InuKimi, and your half-brother. As you can see, He gestured haughtily to his missing arm, "I require some assistance or Mother will pitch a fit when I return, it is your duty as my family and Alpha to aid me. Do you accept your responsibilities or forfeit your honor?" He mimicked his brother's stoic expression, suddenly remembering all the lessons he had on controlling his emotions. Chuckling to himself as his brother narrowed his glare, zeroing in on his carefully controlled face, he knew he struck a nerve, but his brother was nothing if not honorable; he could use it to his advantage. Narrowing his own golden eyes, he wondered if his brother started training him in diplomacy early just for this meeting.

Anger settled in his gut as he resisted the need to cut this new edition to his family tree down, "You are not of this Sesshomaru's pa..." The whelp had the nerve to interrupt, "Oh but I am big brother, I'm part of your pack in the future." No deception sifted through the words, his nose would have picked up the bitter scent. "Explain." Standing his ground, the pup lifted his chin, "Will you help me? You must be willing to listen to my words and act accordingly or the future is in peril. Plus if the other bed time stories you told me are correct, then your fate is also in peril, so you must be willing to do as you are told…"

"Hn." Sesshomaru had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, no one would be telling him how to act. Not even his council members could get away alive after making a demand of him. With his decision made, he turned toward Inuyasha Forrest, "Come." Hopefully this brother would prove to be more useful than the abomination his father created, though his life would be far too boring if the Kami's granted him a sedated family member.

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and story favs! I love you guys! =) There may be some OOCness for Sesshomaru when InuMaigo thinks back to interactions with his big brother in the future, but remember time changes everyone and Sesshomaru hasn't gotten to be feral and go on killing sprees for a couple of centuries now. XD Also I'm sorry for any typos or anything... I kinda am editing this half-asleep. :P I'll be gone driving for 10 hours tomorrow so I wanted to get this chapter up tonight, otherwise it would've had to wait til Friday. **

**FunFact: I chose InuMaigo for the pup's name because it means stray dog, and I LOLed at that. XD**

**Thanks for reading, & Don't forget to R&R =D**


	3. Chapter 3: Healing and Mud

Puppy Promises:

Chapter 3: Healing and Mud

The disclaimer I've forgotten to put up til know: C'mon we all know I do not own anything from Inuyasha.

Souta stared tight lipped at Inuyasha's red clad form just outside the room, from his place at his sister's still sleeping side. Yellow light poured from wide rectangles in the ceiling, casting an ugly malaise pastiness over her fleshy cheeks. Weak, that's how she looked beneath the thin blue sheet, with too many machines to count plugged into her frail body with needles and sticky pads as they whirred and buzzed keeping track of her vitals, assuring everyone she'd be fine in the end. She didn't look fine with sweat trickling along her brow and her naturally plump lips clenched in a thin line.

Quickly he wiped the sweat away with a damp cloth. His eyes darted to her ear, half expecting blood to begin dripping along the smooth angle of her neck branching out like a growing crimson tree as it had when he found her crumpled in the bowels of the well, but as he peered grimly down at the side of her pale face, she looked alive, hot sweaty and tired, but alive and healing. A breathe he hadn't realized he'd been holding exploded from his chest as relief washed through his veins and he let his eyes close for a moment.

Inuyasha said her miko energy would keep her alive. The doctors called her an oddity, she'd cracked her skull, and in any normal circumstance that would mean likely death and definite surgery, but Kagome was anything but normal. They explained that her body was healing quite quickly, and she would be well enough to go home in a few days. Despite her unmoving form breathing lightly in the hospital bed, she was not in a coma but more like a sort of hibernating sleep using all her energy to heal her broken crown.

His hand hovered over hers until he gave in to his need for comfort, and gripped his fingers tightly around her still palm. She'd only fluttered her eyes a couple of times the night before, and when he saw it hope filled his chest. Her hand twitched in his grasp, so he held tighter, trying to will his strength into her.

Since he was just a baby, His big sister was always strong, safe, smart…his protector. If he needed help with anything, as soon as she found out, she'd jump all over it, doing whatever it took to make everything better. That's the type of person Kagome was, and he knew it, she'd never let anyone suffer.

Like glee incarnate, she lit up the world. The saddest person on Earth stood no match for his sister. But lying there amidst the humming machines, unmoving, and quieter than she'd ever been... with her closed eyes tilted in pain. She never looked so frail in his eyes so from the beginning, he refused to leave her side.

Sometimes he'd sit in the large stiff pink chair next to the bed, but often he'd just stand over her, like a guard, refusing to leave even when the nurses threatened to call security as visiting hours were over. Souta would not let his sister wake alone.

He would do whatever it took to make her safe and happy, he would stay by her side until she woke. The well reopened, he wanted to be the one to tell her, Inuyasha be damned, he wanted her first smile to be seen by him, her little brother. It was his turn to be the one to make everything better if only for a moment, his turn to be the protector.

Out in the hall in hushed tones, the Hanyou and the rest of the family spoke of the Bone Eater's Well, the well that caused so much trouble in their lives. "I'm not sure I understand Inuyasha, why wouldn't the well let Kagome through, you got through fine…"

Inuyasha cut her off with a slight snarl to his tone, making his voice gravelly, not that he was mad at anyone but himself, "The others seem to think it had something to do with her using it too soon after travelling to the Feudal Era," Shame bit at him, filling him up like a water skin, he failed her, he let her get hurt. "…it needed to recharge…or something like that. I'm not an expert on time travel!" His voice grew rougher with each word, he was tired of explaining the same thing over and over again, tired of being in the stupid chemical filled hospital, tired of the emotions wreaking havoc in his chest.

Miroku would have been charming, explaining all the thoughts and ideas on the matter, he would have taken the time and energy to clarify, but Inuyasha, he knew he wasn't charming. He was not going to try and win over Kagome's mother with ideas they weren't even sure about, and he was not going to try to be suave to do it.

The pungent smells throughout the building burned his sensitive nose, and barely covered the stench of blood and death. His head ached with unwanted emotions and smells. "Kagome…" He whispered so lightly that only he could hear her name on his lips.

Fear and worry…guilt…he didn't deal with those emotions well as they crashed through his gut. Everything in his being told him it was his fault Kagome cracked her skull, if he had been there… Clenching his jaw, he let loose a growl, his claws fisted at his sides. Pain clearly etched itself in his face, and he cursed himself for not possessing the resolve that his full blooded Inuyoukai brother kept so easily in place no matter the situation.

Not wanting to be anywhere near the family until he could restrain the sadness threatening his tough exterior, he bolted out an open window at the end of the hall.

Her mother shot his retreating form a small sad smile before walking wordlessly back into the hospital room. Jii-san groaned, shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose, wondering why his granddaughter had ever been smitten with such a numbskull.

* * *

><p>Following the Lord, InuMaigo lifted his nose in the air, taking in as much as his little lungs could hold. His brother glided pretentiously five feet ahead of him with his long silver tresses dancing like a star lit waterfall trickling to his boot clad heels.<p>

A gross looking toady imp demon kept squawking next to him about how awesome he was, like he needed more of a big head...InuMaigo rolled his eyes and decidedly ignored the two ahead of him, he was far more interested in the world around him than his haughty brother and his retainer.

Crisp pure unpolluted air wisped around the small child as he sucked in yet another deep succulent breath. Pine, the scent ebbed and flowed as they walked through the forest, it reminded him of his father, fresh and clean yet demanding. The air was so rich, filled with the smooth scents of plum blossoms and hinoki trees, fresh mosses and young grass, dirt…oh the wonderful smell of dirt there were so many levels to the scent it produced: mineral rich, freshly turned, muddy, sandy, bug infested…Oh how he wanted to roll around in it, all of it even in his human form, naked…

That's when he saw it, the largest puddle of mud he'd ever seen, and he bolted, unable to resist.

Crunch…crack…snap…It was worse than Jaken's high pitched squawking. With each sound, Sesshomaru had to fight the incessant twitch in his claws, begging to rip through the flesh of the whelp five paces behind him. The pup had been taught absolutely nothing about stealth, and the sounds his heavy feet produced were driving the Daiyoukai to the edge of sanity. Just when he found himself ready to tear the brat to pieces, the heavy crunchy sounds trailed away.

"Jaken find the whelp." His green beak opened to begin a spew of babble Sesshomaru had no want for hearing, "Do not speak, just go." The tone of his voice left no room to argument and promised severe pain if ignored.

A/N: I have way too many ideas swimming around in my head for this story, and I'm not entirely sure on a plot yet as this story was just a spur of the silliness in my head. I've never tried much humor before, and I'm not sure I'm quite cut out for it.

I got a total of three reviews for the last chapter, 1 on fanfiction and 2 on dokuga… and about a million story favs and alerts. Everyone loves reviews, we all do, and when I enjoy a story that I'm reading chapter by chapter following the many updates as the story progresses along, I make a note as a thank you to review every chapter. I'm not saying you guys have to review, but it's nice to know people actually care if it's continued or not. (And I do get a little giddy every time I read one…it's not weird…everyone does…)

So, this chapter was very short, I anticipated writing the third chapter to over twice the size I posted with plot development and an enticing cliff hanger…ah well, be thankful for the Souta character development. :P


	4. Chapter 4: Friendship

**Puppy Promises:**

**By Stormie Morrison**

**Chapter Four: Friendship  
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Giddily, InuMaigo's yellow youki energy swirled as he changed forms from beast to boy and back again, splashing in the thick brown mud like so much chocolate frosting. Pink tongue darting from his smiling lips, curiously, and because its smell was sweet, he lapped up the gritty muck from the side of his face and grimaced, "Yep not frosting!" The words came out as tiny barks as he switched forms yet again, his little body became furred and in a quick painful snap he found himself as a lolloping puppy fur matted with muck.

Bouncing in the sticky goop, he couldn't help the lonely feeling in his chest, he missed his family, not used to playing alone. Sadness came and went in a flash as the massive puddle began to vibrate; a welcomed distraction. Bubbles fizzed from the muddy depths, and he couldn't quell the desire to pounce on each and every one, bathing himself in fresh layers of grime with each bound. He continued his quest to conquer while switching forms mid-pounce.

Giggling spilled from each popped glob, like a little girl being tickled. "Where are you?" InuMaigo laughed, caught up in the joys of being covered in slime and goop like a thick slick second skin, caring less that he was still indeed void of any clothes.

If only his mother could see him now, bare and covered in sludge, she'd scream and scold him with a shake of one long red polished claw. The laughter grew louder, shaking him from his longing. "Where are you?" He asked once more with a pop of a rather large mud bubble.

The mud here smelled so much better than any mud he'd ever smelt, like fleshy fruits and sweet brown sugar. "Everywhere silly!" The voice cooed seeming to come from every direction, high pitched and lofty.

The pup glanced around the clearing, suddenly painfully aware his brother and retainer were nowhere in sight and neither was the girl. "Show yourself." He growled, his voice losing its innocence, a mask twisted on his face, claws erect and poised to fight.

Crying, it came like a smooth sad melody ripe with despair followed by a whimper of desolation, "Please don't be mad, don't leave!" It was then he realized that her words came from the mud blisters popping with sound, and before he could find anything to say, a throaty squawk screeched. His spine went ridged and his pointed ears ached.

"Whelp!" The bulbous retainer scrambled closer, careful not to sully his bare feet in the slimy muck puddle, "Get out of that filth! Do you wish to dishonor Lord Sesshomaru like that filthy hanyou!" His giant juicy yellow eyes blinked wide as the mud began to recede to a small growing form way too close to the pup for his hide's safety for if something were to happen to the brat his Lord would surely have it fresh from his bones.

Grime oozed vertically into the air forming a giant mass of blobby mud monster and a wide soggy mouth from which sludge seeped and oozed. "You will leave us you ugly monstrosity!" The tiny bubbly voice of a little girl morphed into something far deeper and resonated through the forest. Birds and squirrels chirped and chattered, scurrying away to safety high in the canopy.

A tremor of fear ran through the green youkai's form, but he held up his staff, squawking, "You are no match for the staff of two heads!" As the staff rose into the air massive mucky spit balls crashed over him until he ran for his Lord. He'd allow his Lord the pleasure of killing him if he so chose but not that disgraceful blob demon.

"What are you?" InuMaigo shouted with his messed claws extended toward the mass, wishing he hadn't lost his right arm as he tried to keep the fear from his face and eyes. White light spilled over the mass and suddenly where the giant mucky monster had been stood a little girl. She looked like the embodiment of hot cocoa with skin like molten caramel, eyes the color of rich dark chocolate, and hair wild and messed like white foam atop her head glowing with pink youki.

A blush covered her face, and she quickly turned around, hiding her eyes, "I'm a…a Deinei Youkai…" She stuttered with embarrassment at his state of undress, "Can you please put on some clothes?"

Suddenly InuMaigo remembered being naked, and while he loved not having any clothes on, and he didn't care if boys saw him…His entire body turned pink…this girl, he did not want to be around a girl naked!

Turning to leave, he stopped mid stride when she screamed crying, again, "Don't leave!" Torn, frozen in place, the pup groaned, completely unprepared for such a situation. "I'm lost, don't leave me alone…" Her small voice filled with sadness, it crept up on him like a shroud of death, and his feet refused to take him away. He knew the wrenching feeling of being lost and alone.

The beast inside him growled, "I'll protect you," the words spewing from his lips without even a thought on his part. Never before had such a thing happened, his natural unconscious control had always been enough to keep his beast at bay, and now he found himself wishing he would have paid more attention to his training for it seemed his beast would do as it pleased.

"You grant the female your protection pup?" Seemingly out of nowhere, his older brother's voice, just slightly lilting with amusement and annoyance, met his flushed ears.

With a huff, InuMaigo clenched and unclenched the claw at his side. "My beast insists, the vow has been said, I am honor bound to do so." Despite the urge to run into the flowering bushes and hide his nakedness from the deinei youkai, he instead, much to her red faced dismay, took a stance protectively in front of her.

"So be it. Do not leave this area."

* * *

><p>Ten long minutes passed, silent but for the shuffling of tiny embarrassed feet from side to side. The small Inu glared straight, staring at the thick green leaves of the forest ahead trying to keep his mind from thinking about the awkward situation he now found himself in, all because his beast had a big mouth. He now had two things to work on, control being the basis of both his problems; resisting temptation and ruling his beast.<p>

A sharp pain throbbed in his skull, and he wondered if this was the 'migraine' his mother talked about with so much frustration marring her usually happy tone.

"What is your name?" The small mud demon asked, stealing his attention from the trees, with her chocolate chip eyes glued to her toe swirling in the dirt.

"InuMaigo, son of Lady InuKimi and Lord Haiiro," Pride filled him up as he sucked in a deep breath, puffing up his pale chest, before he tilted his silver top and glanced at the back of her pink tinged head. "What is your name?"

She also seemed proud of her lineage, her back straightened, and her pointed chin became parallel with the ground, "My name is Moyashi, daughter of General Onmitsu of the Western Lord's Army." The she met his gleaming amber eyes, flushing slightly pink as she caught his gaze over her shoulder, "What affiliation do you have to the West? I have heard only the Lord has a crescent above his brow."

Not sure if Sesshomaru would be angry if he told her his time travelling tale, he merely adverted his gaze, muttering, "I am a relative of Sesshomaru-Sama."

Smiling, she also turned away, watching a turquoise butterfly flutter around the clearing, "Once you clothe yourself, I'd like to play again. Not many of the children at the shiro enjoy playing with a sludge demoness, but if you are staying there, perhaps we may become friends."

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru found the pups back to back, pink cheeked, in the clearing where he'd left them, and tossed a satchel filled with clothes at the red faced naked Inu. "Bathe and dress, I will protect the girl while you do so."<p>

The pup narrowed his eyes, scenting mischief in the wind, but took the gift graciously, slightly bowing, "Thank you Sesshomaru-Sama," and ran into the bushes he'd been eyeing longingly for almost half an hour, his nose told him there was a stream nearby.

Centuries, he'd lived for hundreds of years, his senses unparalleled to any other's, but Sesshomaru's nose could not place the flavor of his mother's second offspring. Later, in the secrecy of his fortress's walls where no unwanted ears could hear, he would ask the whelp, but with such an opportunity to test out the strength of the child, his curiosity would not allow him to pass it up.

His golden eyes ran over the small female before him with a note of familiarity, and he lightly sniffed the air trying to place her sweet sugary scent. It donned on him, she was the daughter of a spy in his army, their scent held much of the same aroma but they looked nothing alike. Catching her attention with a stern muttering of, "Girl," He gave in to curiosity.

In a quick bow, she lowered her head, frothy locks sticking out like an immobile dollop of cream while fear and anxiety rippled through her aura, "Hai Milord?"

"You are indeed General Onmitsu's daughter, are you not? Why are you not accompanied by a guard?" Her father held a respectable position in his army, surely one so honorable in his duties to his Lord were also honorable in other duties as well.

Face flushed, Moyashi knew she could not lie to her Lord, there would be no honor in trying to deceive anyone really, but the Lord of the West would surely kill her for the insult. "I um…" Fingers trembling as she wrung her hands, "Well…I…I kind of ran away…or well not ran away," Desperately trying to find the right words before the Lord grew impatient and just lopped off her head. She let her tears fall, tears she'd been trying to keep in check for a day and a half, shame licking over her aura like some thickly coiled snake.

Slightly narrowing his eyes at the tiny demoness as the bitter scents of fear and shame mixed with the salty scent of her tears, "You will return to the shiro."

As if his order had been a question, she mumbled, "Hai," before sitting in the dirt, with her face buried in her hands sobbing.

* * *

><p>"Haori and hakamas?" InuMaigo glared at the clothes he'd been given, not ever wearing such ridiculous things before. Holding up a strange length of white silk with weird straps, he wasn't sure what to do with it, perhaps it was a scarf of some sort.<p>

Usually he would wear underwear with his clothes, but he couldn't figure out what in the bag was even supposed to be underwear. There were too many sets of kimono, or maybe they were layers, and he couldn't find a use for them, so, with a frown, he slipped the blue hakamas over his thin legs and drowned his arms into the white haori's sleeves, and, after eyeing the pink length with immense disgust, tied it tight with something he vaguely recalled as an obi from the only time his mother had ever even attempted to get him into traditional garb.

God he despised pink, and kimonos, and haoris, and hakamas, he even disliked the silk fabric.

Shoving his feet into a pair of thick socks and black boots, he groaned, comfort had yet to be invented, and he couldn't wait for the chance to wear jeans and a t-shirt, or better yet nothing at all in the solitude of his own bedroom, with little responsibilities and no beast offering girls his protection; His eyes widened, the girl…something felt wrong.

Despair, her despair filled with disgrace and salty tears, it perked up his beast, his natural instincts to protect her and end such suffering.

As he ran back to the clearing with a speed he'd never had much use for until now, his eyes caught sight of Moyashi's crumpled form on the ground with her face in her hands, bawling her eyes out. "What did you do to her!" Growling, he shot the Daiyoukai an angry snarl, his beast disliking the scent of pain and sadness marring the girl's rich candied fragrance.

"Hush pup, you have yet to earn the right to pledge an oath of protection, however," Sesshomaru waved a hand to his side, and InuMaigo noticed the usually screeching retainer had a gag in his mouth and a frantic look in his bulbous eyes, "I will allow you to fight Jaken to earn the right to make such vows."

Surprisingly the pup's amber eyes looked pleased, and a fearsome smile spread over his face. The pup no longer looked innocent and reckless, but held a sense of easy violence, and began an attack on the imp youkai almost immediately with deadly silence in his attacks.

Using the staff of two heads as a flame thrower, the imp youkai, filled with dread and fear, ran around the clearing in a frantic circle, his large eyes darted every which way. Muffled screeches bled through the small area, and Sesshomaru decided to use the gag as a permanent accessory for the green youkai.

He watched the young one with interest as InuMaigo easily kept his retainer on the run. The pup was like a ghost, quick and unseeing, and he toyed with the retainer like a cat with a mouse. His amber eyes consumed by white fire, blazed as he sped through the air. Sesshomaru found himself slightly surprised as he realized the pup's feet were no longer visible.

Perhaps he hadn't given the pup enough credit, him only being a mere seventy five seasons old, or near it at least, he was young, small enough to be a human toddler but deadly still even by youkai standards.

Sesshomaru flicked his wrist, putting an end to the fight with his yellow energy whip. He could no longer catch the pup's scent, and was beginning to have an idea as to what the little halfling could possibly be. "You've earned the right to protect the girl if you wish."

Sucking in a deep breath, InuMaigo closed his eyes and slightly bowed to his brother before taking a protective stance in front of the girl. Moyashi stared at him in awe, with wide chocolate eyes and slightly parted lips. His spine went ridged as she flung her arms around him and giggled a quick almost silent thank you. Tilting his head to the side as she pulled away, he furrowed his brows, "You are very strange."

One moment the girl would cry and the next she'd laugh, the two tones of her voice so utterly different and yet the same. His statement seemed to make her giggle more and blush, but he decided to ignore it, she was confusing and now his beast had him stuck with her.

* * *

><p>"Sesshomaru-Sama?" The pup asked, approaching his brother with an uncomfortable gait, unsure of this new version of the Daiyoukai he'd known all his life.<p>

"Hn?" Now there was a familiar answer, and he found it gave him a little more courage to ask his question.

"Did I fight well?" He couldn't help but seek approval from his big brother, and his eyes gleamed with nervous anxiety as Sesshomaru stopped mid-stride to give him a lengthy gaze.

Casting his still gagged retainer a heated glare, he spoke with no emotion at all, "Jaken did not pose a threat, do not consider it a fight."

Not sure how to take the cryptic answer, the pup hung back to walk beside Moyashi. "You did very well Inu." She grinned when a small smile broke on his lips, and whispered, "I think we shall be great friends." With a nod, InuMaigo sighed, not sure if he wanted a girl as a friend. She already proved to be very confusing, but she was kind of nice, and fun to play with in her youkai form.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Let's see, can anyone guess what InuMaigo is besides Inuyoukai?_**

**_If anyone wants to see a quick scrap drawing of Moyashi you can look here (just remove the spaces) =D - http:/zebrapillows. deviantart. com/art/ Moyashi-290655055_**

**_Also the next chapter will take some time to get posted. I'm moving this weekend and I'm not sure how long it will take to get the internet up and everything situated. I'm sorry, I'll try to make it up to you guys with a nice long chapter, one with more development. (I can't wait to get the ball rolling with the story. I just need to get the pup in the castle and Kagome out of that darn hospital bed XP)_**

**_=)_**


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